FAQ

What services can the hotline or chat and text services provide me?

The crisis services provide crisis intervention, emotional support, and resources to service users. Crisis interventions include safety planning, exploring options or coping strategies, and validating, nonjudgmental support of help seekers. Outside interventions may be contacted if safety cannot be maintained, or there is a risk of imminent harm. The crisis services do not function as therapy, and staff and volunteers are unable to provide diagnosis, as they are not mental health clinicians. However, they can connect help seekers to resources that can provide mental health treatment or further information.

Do you contact the police if someone is suicidal?

Outside interventions such as law enforcement would only be contacted in the case of risk of imminent harm or death to a caller or third party of which someone is calling on behalf. There are many levels of suicidality, and counselors are trained to assess risk levels to know what appropriate support to provide. The Crisis Center is aware that involving law enforcement carries its own risk of harm to callers, and will do everything in its power to work with clients and callers before that level of intervention is necessary.

Will I have to give my personal information if I call or chat for support?

Services through the StarVista Crisis Center are confidential. Staff and volunteers may ask you questions, but you are not required to answer or give personal demographic information to receive support.

What’s the difference between StarVista’s hotline and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline?

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) is made up of an expansive network of over 200 local – and state–funded crisis contact centers located across the United States. Calls to the Lifeline are routed to their closest center based on area code, with the goal of connecting callers to crisis counselors in their own state. Local crisis counselors at crisis centers are familiar with community mental health resources, and can therefore provide referrals to local services.

StarVista is proud to be one of 12 accredited 988 crisis centers in California. Calls to 988 or 1-800-273-8255 with a 650 area code will be routed to the StarVista Crisis Center.

Do you offer therapy?

We provide short-term therapy on a case-by-case basis through our mobile crisis response team Youth SOS. This service is available to youth ages 0-25 living in San Mateo County. Please call our hotline to get in touch with our Youth SOS team.